One of Those Magic Times: The aftermath

Paw Prints: Writings of the maddog

Feb 14, 2009 GMT

Jon maddog Hall

I woke up on Saturday, February 14th (St. Valentine's Day) and went to my office to start work. Since I work out of my house, it is not a very long commute.

As I started to read my email, I found several emails from people wishing me a "Happy 1234567890", with pictures enclosed, and then I remembered requesting that people send me pictures of their celebrations for that part of the UNIX Epoch (Please see the blog post of February 1st "One of those Magic Times").

Our own celebration at Martha's Exchange Restaurant in Nashua, New Hampshire was fairly quiet. We had ten people show up, but only four of us were actually there for the Epoch event itself. Ben, Kenta, Clair (who came for drinks) and myself. The other people came after the actual Epoch Event, but we still had a good time. A video of the actual event exists on YouTube under my account "maddoghall".

As to the emails I received, I found each of them interesting.

The first picture was from Mark Zaugg, who was picking up his kids in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the exact moment of the Epoch. While difficult to be at a computer, he had the presence of mind to print out the number and bring it with him, so the kids could hold it up. Cut kids, Mark!

Kenny Lyons was next. He felt that his picture was not "exciting", but that is o.k....like with Valentine's Day, it is the thought that counts.

The next email came from Andreas Tauscher in the northwest of Tanzania, about 350km west of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Andreas' is to the left in the picture taken at a "duka" in the town of Haydom. Andreas is there adapting a hospital information system to the needs of east african hospitals.

The last photos arrived from Munich, Germany from Michael Schönitzer. The German PirateParty wanted to have a celebration in Munich, but it appears about half of Munich is sick with the flu, so Michael and a friend went out for a couple of beers. "Michi" gets two photos published, one with his friend underneath the clock showing their local time at the "Epoch Event" and one with a great glass of beer in his hand:

So another great UNIX Epoch Event comes to an end. Thanks to those who sent photos.

maddog

P.S. I had to add this one last picture sent by "Mr. Alexander", deployed with the United States Army at Combat Outpost Carver in Iraq taken just seconds after "The Epoch";